Ascendance
by Metaleaf
Summary: A horrific accident happening to Naruto at a young age turns into his greatest asset, as he shows the Shinobi world the power of the elements themselves.
1. Prologue

Hi there everyone! My name's Duncan, and this is my first fanfic! It's a crossover of Naruto and World of Warcraft, both things which I am a HUGE fan of, so please enjoy! Please R&R, comments/criticism are welcome, and so is a little bit of encouragement here and there. Please let me know how I do!

On with the story:

* * *

**Prologue**

The stories of the past document the birth of the Rikudo Sennin, the so-called father of Ninjutsu, and his epic struggles with the ten-tailed beast, the Juubi, which threatened to destroy all of mankind. The stories say that the Rikudo Sennin defeated the beast and split it into 9 different beings.

However, there was a time when there were no humans on the planet, and when there were just 4 major elemental beings ruling over the world. This was the era of the elementals, where the 4 brothers fought to take control of the planet itself, their names all but forgotten over the thousands of years since their last battle. The reason to which the 4 omnipotent brothers were silenced is not known, but ever since then they have been biding their time and setting their plans into place, as they vowed to return via a small human child: one Uzumaki Naruto.

"There he is! Get the demon before he escapes!", a villager shouted. It was the 4th anniversary of the 9 tails' attack on Konohagakure no Sato, and as per usual there was a mob of civilians and shinobi alike looking to get revenge on the 'demon'. A young Naruto was running as fast as his 4 year old legs could, but to no avail, as the shinobi caught up with him easily despite his impressive agility for his age, honed from years of running from the same mobs.

However, the mob had something special planned for him this time. Catching him and throwing the screaming child into a bag, a group of Jonin quickly made way for the south west of the village, having bribed the guards to say nothing. They made their way through the forest made by the First Hokage, before arriving in a small seaside town. After what seemed like eternity to Naruto, the bag was opened, and to his horror and to the glee of the jonin surrounding him, he screamed as a knife was plunged through his abdomen. After his vocal chords were shattered from his howling, they put him in a body-bag and threw him into the sea.

The jonin took their masks off and started laughing and celebrating in joy, as they went to a local inn to celebrate their success. They were never going back to Konoha again, as they knew the risks of returning. However, their success was cut short as a massive surge of water rose up from the sea, gradually taking the shape of a humanoid figure. In the centre of it was Naruto, body-bag gone, his eyes possessed with an amazing blue. However, what drew the jonins' attention was the mass of water which surrounded him, which shifted and changed constantly, only held in shape by a pair of eyes which glowed yellow, brimming with untold power which transcended human comprehension. In a voice which was not his, Naruto intoned "**I must thank you foolish people for bringing the child of Prophecy to me. I hate doing deals with my brothers, let alone HIM especially"**, the azure eyes looking through the ninja and into the growth. **"However, what you have done to this boy over the years cannot be forgotten."**

"Oh yeah? Well what are you gonna do about that seaweed brai-", a young jonin snorted, unaware of the death sentence he had just put upon himself. Before he could finish the sentence, his body itself blew apart into nothing, as the water itself seemed to erupt from inside, before returning to the sea. The elemental lord looked at the others. "**Next**." The other jonin, mortified, started to back away before running back into the forest, scared for their lives.

The elemental lord look at their retreating figures, before sinking back into the water, bringing the young boy with him. '**_Those fools… they've run straight into the trap.' _**As if on que, 5 booms of thunder were heard echoing in the distance, each signalling the end of a treacherous shinobi who paid for their lives. The lord looked down onto the boy, eyes now shut, before retreating into the depths of the ocean where no sailor dared to venture; the Ocean of the Tidehunter.

* * *

"What do you mean he's gone!?" the Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen exclaimed. The man had once been the proclaimed 'God of Shinobi' and 'Professor', one of the most powerful ninja in the world. But now, he was a shadow of his former self, barely able to keep his own villagers under control.

"Hokage sama, the jonin team which took him have been found in the forest, all struck by lightning… all except one. All we found were bones, completely void of all liquid or matter", the ANBU captain dog reported.

"What of Naruto?" the aged Hokage whispered.

"We are sorry Hokage sama, but there are no traces of him".

Hiruzen took one deep look at the captain, before dismissing him, much to the relief of the latter. He looked out at the window at the festival which was celebrating the anniversary of the demon's defeat. 'Minato… what would you have done..' he muttered.


	2. The Tidehunter

_(The morning after)_

Naruto's eyes fluttered open. They widened as he found himself surrounded by immense coral reefs that stretched into the distance and fish which he had never seen before. The water was crystal clear, as no pollution had ever managed to reach here, because no human had ever dared to venture into the ocean. Despite being thousands of feet below the surface the sunlight still managed to reach the bottom of the sea. Suddenly it dawned on him that he was in the water, deep below in the ocean. He started choking on the water, as anyone would do as nobody can breathe underwater.

"**Relax child, you can breathe in my domain". **A deep, bass voice called out from around him. To his shock and great embarrassment he found that he indeed could breathe, before facing in the direction of the voice. His eyes widened as he gazed upon the form of a massive being; He was made out of water, yet stood out from his surroundings, a chaotic yet controlled mass of liquid churning and moving making the shape of a humanoid. He had bright yellow eyes, a strong jaw and a long, thick beard that waved around him.

"W-w-who are you?" Naruto stammered.

"**I am known by many names, but the one used by your people the most is Neptulon the Tidehunter, Elemental Lord of Water. And you, Namikaze Naruto, are my apprentice".**

Naruto did what any 4 year old would do after meeting an omnipotent being made out of water.

He gaped, and then fainted. '_This is a dream, this is a dream'_, he told himself.

Neptulon sighed. '_**Why are they always like this when they see me… Is it the beard?' **_He paced around the ocean floor for a few minutes, unable to come up with an explanation as to why he seemed scary.

After a few more minutes Naruto stirred. '_Why are my dreams becoming weirder and weirder?' _he moaned in his head. **"I am afraid that they are not dreams, young one." **Naruto swivelled round so quickly that he threatened to break his neck, again gazing upon the mighty figure of the Elemental Lord.

"W-why am I here?" Naruto asked, backing into a shelf behind him.

'**I brought you here after those ninja left you for dead.' **Naruto visibly shivered at the thought of the ninja who had thrown him into the water. **"Do not worry young one, they are taken care of". **

"Thanks ossan(Grandpa), but I really think I should return home now, jiji must be getting really scared now", Naruto said with a grin on his face, scratching the back of his head.

Neptulon however, was not convinced. He shifted closer to him, until they were just feet away from each other.

"**Is that what you really want to do?"**

Naruto stopped laughing, and had a confused look on his face.

"**When was the last time you had a peaceful day in that village you call home, Naruto?" **This statement hit home, as Naruto could not think of a single day where he was left at peace by the other villagers. In fact, he had been shunned and scorned by all the villagers continuously, and didn't know what to say.

"**I thought so. Do you know why they are treating you like this?" **Again, Naruto shook his head.

'_**Hmm… for that man to keep this secret from him is really too far… perhaps I'll have to pay him a visit'. **_ At this thought Neptulon had a dark grin on his face, as he was plotting on what to do to the beloved Hokage.

He turned to Naruto. **"Rest young one, it is not time for you to know the truth yet". **As he said this, Naruto started to feel very tired, more so than the nights where he had gotten no sleep at all, due to the villagers' unrest, and started to fall to the floor slowly due to the water surrounding him. This was the last time he would be falling asleep for 3 years, for Neptulon had put him into a coma.

'_**Now, time to pay this village a little visit'**_ he grinned, before sighing. Why did humans have to be so troublesome at times.

* * *

_(Later that evening)_

The aged Hokage was standing up and looking out his window onto the village. It's inhabitants had quietened down after he had made it quite clear that his law was still in place, and that anyone found talking of the Fox was to be executed. However, this was still not enough. He took a long drag from his pipe, blowing the smoke out the window.

He had dismissed his ANBU from their hiding spots in his office, as he wanted some time on his own. He was staring out to the south-west of the village, the direction in which Naruto was taken.

"**Beautiful, isn't it" **A deep voice intoned from behind him.

Sarutobi whirled around to see the intruder, only to narrow his eyes at the 'person'. In front of him was a cloaked man, easily over 6ft, with strong features in his face, and prominent, shining yellow eyes which pierced through the air. He was very well built, with muscles that would put Gai to shame.

Sarutobi flared his Killing Intent, before mustering his darkest voice, "_Who are you?" _He snapped.

Neptulon himself narrowed his eyes, before enveloping the entire village with his presence.

Killing Intent, when mastered, could make even trained jonin want to kill themselves to get out of the torture they were put under. The KI of the Hokage was well known to be one of the strongest in the world.

However, this... being's presence… This was much worse. It made you feel like you were surrounded by water, with no light visible, and no way of getting out of the water. The pressure would be crushing your body inwards until there was nothing left, let alone being able to breathe. The only thing the hokage was able to see was his deep yellow eyes. There he saw his entire life flash before him, from his first lesson with the First and Second Hokage to the moment he had seen Minato seal the Kyuubi into Naruto.

Meanwhile, around the village, Shinobi and villagers alike were flattened to the ground, unable to make a noise or move a muscle. The buildings themselves creaked, and the poorly built ones crashed to the ground.

As soon as it hit it was gone, and Sarutobi fell to the floor gasping.

The stranger walked up to him, and whispered into the aged man's ear,**" You may know me by many names, but to you, I am '**_**The Whisper from the West"**_. As Sarutobi heard this his eyes widened, finally realising who he was talking with.

"**I will be taking the Child of Prophecy and will be teaching him the 'Way of the Water'. You will not attempt to make contact, or interrupt, or even try to stop him, let alone me, with this training. Do you understand?" **Sarutobi, realising that he had no say in this 'conversation', nodded dumbly. **"Good." **And with that word he was gone, dissolving into the air as if he was never there.

The Hokage's personal ANBU burst in through the door, only to find Sarutobi sweating bullets on the floor. "Hokage-sama!" Dog shouted, before rushing to his side and helping him up into his chair.

"If you don't mind, sir", Bear, the other ANBU asked, "What was that?"

The two ANBU flinched when they heard the words drift out of the Hokage's mouth.

"An Ancient Prophecy which has been passed down through my clan dictates that should one of the Lords from the four corners of the world emerge, the world as it is will either flourish… _or be destroyed"._

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As always, please R&R, much appreciated, as this is my first fanfic and I could do with all the help I can get :D


	3. New Acquaintances

**The Abyssal Maw**

Neptulon sat atop his throne. It was a magnificent thing; the throne itself made of stone, the edges lined with gold, the armrest and sides of the chair detailing every single marine animal in the world, intricately carved by someone whose name has been lost to the ages. A trident sat atop the headpiece, something Neptulon never really understood; the thing was far too clumsy to wield in battle, and it didn't suit his fighting style, nor his looks. He wanted something elegant, not a tool used by some blundering buffoon. What was his name, Poseidon? _**'Bloody upstarts' **_he mentally sighed.

Better to use a sword. Good for stabbing things. Quickly.

Normally the immortal would have been surveying his vast, dominant kingdom; He was very proud that the Ocean covered well over half of the planet's surface. Or he would have taken the form of a human to observe their traditions, behaviour and most importantly, their ability to manipulate water. At first he was indifferent to these humans using his element, as the 'Sage' used it for good. However, his blood started to churn at the sight of water being used to kill and destroy. Only he was allowed to kill with it! He was made of it after all.

However, he was resting his head on his hand, leaning to one side on his throne, looking intently at the Blond-haired boy. It was the beginning of the 2nd year of Naruto's coma. He had grown tall for his age; a stark difference from his state before arriving at the Elemental Lord's lair. He had not started to build muscle yet, as the age of 5 was too early, even for the all-powerful lord to change.

It was a magnificent piece of engineering which kept Naruto alive, Neptulon thought to himself. The apparatus was a transparent box, constantly glowing a light blue colour. As well as supplying the young body with all the nutrients he needed to grow, it was also expanding his intellect far faster than normal children would normally develop, to the extent that he would be acting ten years older by the time he woke up. For this Neptulon was happy, as dealing with an irritating child was the last thing he wanted to do. After all, he was never good with children, despite being hundreds of thousands of years old.

He still remembered his meeting with the boy's tenant… It certainly took some…convincing. At this thought a grin encompassed his face, as he recollected his encounter with the fox.

_(Flashback)_

Neptulon sighed as he put his hands on the boy's stomach, before being violently lurched into Naruto's landscape. It didn't affect him too badly; He had suffered much worse at the hands of his brothers.

He found himself in a massive room which seemed to never end. In the middle a giant metal cage separating the 2 sides. The walls were covered in pipes, and everything glowed a dull green, with flashing red lights here and there. He noticed that the whole place was covered in about a foot of water. He grinned. '_**Gonna be useful later**_'.

He walked slowly towards the cage, fully aware of what was behind it. As he got to within 20 feet of the cage, he noticed a seal in the middle. Suddenly, a huge claw found itself barrelling towards the lord, despite a cage being in between then. Neptulon did not show any emotion, an impassive look on his face.

"**SO, WHO MIGHT THIS BE, ENTERING MY PRESENCE" **the fox asked, slowly coming to view, with a dangerous grin on his face.

"…" no noise came from the lord. The fox presumed that he was scared stiff due to being in his almighty presence. He decided to continue his introduction.

"**MERE HUMAN, I AM THE MIGHT KYUUBI NO YOKO, MIGHTIEST OF THE TAILED BEASTS AND THE MOST POWERFUL ENTITY IN THE WORLD! LEAVE NOW, BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT YOU!"** Happy with the introduction, the Kyuubi started to roar with laughter.

"…" Again, nothing from the human. The Kyuubi, now a little curious, bent down and set his eyes on the face. His eyes widened as upon closer inspection, the giant fox found out, to his dismay, that this…_petty_ human… was sleeping.

Sleeping! In HIS presence!

He narrowed his eyes, before roaring at the unsuspecting humanoid. The fox started laughing when he stopped as the human was nowhere to be seen. **'HEH, BLEW HIM TO PIECES… LITERALLY" **before howling with laughter at his own joke. The laughter, however, soon died out as he saw the SAME human on the other side of the room, laughing out loud as well.

"**Oh boy, haven't laughed like that in years! Thanks for that one Kyuubi!" **Neptulon chuckled.

"**FOOL! DO YOU NOT REALISE WHO I AM?! I AM THE KYUUBI NO YOKO, MIG-"**

"**-htiest of the tailed beasts and the most powerful entity on the world, yes I get it" **Neptulon sighed. It was bad enough having his wife yelling at him to get off his ass, let alone an oversized fox.

"**But what is your real name, hmm?" **Neptulon asked, with a glint of knowledge in his eyes.

This stopped the Kyuubi short. Never had he been asked for his real name before by any human. The only person who knew he had a name was… His eyes widened, before staring maliciously at the human. **"HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT... HUH!?" **

"**Maah maah, I'd advise you to stop shouting... I didn't get my eel for breakfast so I'm in a bad mood. I'd advise you kept your voice down." **The lord gave the demon a piercing glare, which was overlooked by the demon.

"**I SAID ANSWER ME, NINGEN!" **the fox demanded.

This was the last straw for the Elemental Lord. How dare this puny… animal… even think that he was on the same level?! With this thought he let his presence envelop the entire room, flooding and saturating it until the walls started cracking. The water itself started churning, until the fox found himself looking at a figure as big as him, with the piercing yellow eyes boring holes into the demon's head. The fox was forced to the ground, barely able to breathe, stunned by the presence of this being. This man was close to-no, above and beyond what his grandfather's power ever was! This being made his grandfather's greatest battles seem like child's play. Only now did he realise how big of a mistake it was to provoke this god.

Gradually turning down the pressure, Neptulon kept his steely gaze on the demon, who was still on the ground, staring at him in fear. **"W-Who… Who are you?" **the fox asked, scared out of his mind.

"**My name flows with the currents, but is only heard by those who listen" **he cryptically answered, before dispersing into the water, finally leaving the boy's mindscape. The Fox finally understood, eyes widening as he knew that he was lucky to get away with his life.

_(End Flashback)_

Neptulon, still with his grin on his face, was brought back to the present when a great clang resounded against his head. He clutched at his head, with anime tears running down his face, before collapsing onto the floor in front of his throne. Standing beside him with an ENOURMOUS frying pan was Aurora, the spirit of the sea, as well as most importantly, his wife. She shared similar characteristics with him; She was made out of water, but where Neptulon's veins pumped crabs, sharks and other marine forms of life, Hers pumped pure water; each other's water was the yin and yang to each other. She was extremely beautiful, with features any woman would kill for, with an hourglass figure and perfect facial features. Her forest green eyes showed compassion as well as force, more the latter at the moment as she dragged her unconscious husband back to the dinner table.

The last thought on the Elemental Lord's mind was '_**Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned', **_as he was dragged back to the table by his grumbling wife. Even the most powerful being the planet had ever seen had his match.

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As always, a R&R would be appreciated :).


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